While many Veterans who have served in Guam have asked for VA benefits due to their exposure to Agent Orange and other toxins, the VA has been reluctant to acknowledge those claims. In November of 2018, a Government Accountability Office Report was released and the Department of Defense (“DOD”) updated its list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military. However, Guam still was not added on that list.
A new report may change that. The study, from the National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School, shows that Veterans who served in Guam from 1962 to 1975 were likely exposed to toxins, including Agent Orange. The report says that the evidence collected over two years establishes, at minimum, “as likely as not” veterans who served on the island during those years were exposed to Agent Orange and other toxic herbicides. Widespread exposure is supported by evidence, including contamination tests by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Defense Department in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the report.
If you are a Veteran who served in Guam and feel that you were exposed to Agent Orange or other toxins, you should file your claim with the VA as soon as possible. Our office is open for calls and online assistance and will continue to help our Veterans in any way possible. If you have a claim for disability and need assistance, please call our office and speak with one of our qualified Veterans’ Disability attorneys. Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping injured and disabled Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. If you need help with a disability claim, call the office at 251-343-1111 or 800-332-1529 for a free consultation.